Blueberry-Strawberry Cobbler

Baking at sea level- in an unfamiliar oven- has been a challenge that has humbled your intrepid gluten-shunning goddess at large. My mojo is askew. All my old tricks and tweaks for high altitude baking are no longer required. It's like losing a third of your favorite play list. Or half your shoes. All the left ones. I have to realign my route. I must toss out all my assumptions (a favorite mid-life goal, anyway, so I may as well practice it).

Cooking temperatures are hotter here. And the stove is a gas stove- a more intense heat than my bottled propane fired oven back in the wild desert hills of New Mexico. I am burning cookies. I am slicing into gummy bread. I am all thumbs in the kitchen- and then some. I am banging my head on the tile counter (no, not really; I've already developed a very laid back LA 'tude; I merely sigh in the face of culinary disappointment, then shrug and mutter, Fuck it, and go walk on Santa Monica beach, south of the pier).

Luckily, my third- or was it fourth?- attempt at sea level baking showed some improvement. I figured out that not only is cooking "heat" hotter here, this particular gas oven- like so many artsy, brainy, creative types here in La La Land- may be running a tad on the high side.

The clues?

Batter and dough is cooking fast on the outside, rising and browning like the golden grails you dream of. But the bottoms border on scorched, and the center remains tacky, rather humid and under-baked. Not qualities you enjoy in a cookie or slice of focaccia.

So a note to the occasional reader who reports the same experience I describe. Try this:

Lower the oven temperature by 25 degrees F. Make sure your oven rack is squarely in the center. And line your pans and baking sheets with parchment. See if that helps.

As for me, I rallied. I ran up to the cozy little Whole Foods around the corner and fetched fresh blueberries and strawberries, determined to bake up a vegan cobbler for the Fouth of July weekend. I was inspired by the beautiful magic cobbler at Eat Out Loud. Check out his version if you use wheat flour. And be safe this holiday weekend. Have fun. Eat good food.

Celebrate independence from gluten.

Blueberry-Strawberry Cobbler Recipe

My gluten-free cobbler recipe is vegan, meaning no eggs or milk or butter. But if you prefer using those ingredients instead- be my guest. It should work.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (as mentioned above, I baked mine at 325º F). Line a 9-inch pie or cake pan with parchment, if you wish; or lightly oil it.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Shimmy it to make it even. Add the berries on top.

Bake in the center of a preheated oven until golden and baked through- about 40 to 50 minutes, depending upon your oven. Keep an eye on it.

Serve warm.

Makes 5-6 servings. To make it a red, white and blue dessert, top the berry cobbler with your favorite vegan vanilla or coconut ice cream.

Karina's notes on substitutions-

The sorghum and millet flours have such a lovely flavor and texture, but if you are unable to use them, try subbing a fine brown rice flour and buckwheat flour. Note that these flours are less sweet- so taste test to see if you need more sweetener.

Recipe Source: glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com

All images & content are copyright protected, all rights reserved. Please do not use our images or content without prior permission. Thank you.